Cruise circles Cronenberg's 'Circle'

Actor in talks to join Denzel Washington starrer

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Tom Cruise is in talks to star with Denzel Washington in “The Matarese Circle,” the David Cronenberg-directed adaptation of the Robert Ludlum thriller that MGM will put into production this year.

Cruise will go mano a mano with Washington as two bitter enemy spies who, after spending two decades trying to kill one another, find themselves in the crosshairs of the Matarese, a powerful group at the root of a conspiracy. The script by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (“Wanted”) contemporizes Ludlum’s original Cold War premise. Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Nick Wechsler will produce with Jeffrey Weiner and Ben Smith’s newly formed Captivate Entertainment. Henry Morrison is exec producer.

The deal is coming together quickly, and it is unclear whether it will be structured in such a way that MGM can tap the Merrill Lynch production funding that was raised when Cruise became an owner of UA.

Project becomes the marquee film under the new regime of MGM topper Mary Parent, and the film is expected to be released in 2010.

Cruise, who’s coming off “Valkyrie,” is expected next to star with Charlize Theron in “The Tourist” for Spyglass.

Tekið af Vef Variety